Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.
Some time ago there was a touching story on the evening news of a young boy who was color blind from birth. His teacher in middle school was also color blind from birth but was outfitted with an amazing new set of glasses that permitted him to see color for the very first time. With all his classmates surrounding him, the teacher put these glasses on his student. The heartwarming and emotional response by the young man was instantaneous. He gazed around the room and then on the faces of his friends and then he broke down and wept with joy. For, you see, he had never seen before the kaleidoscopic beauty of the world in all its varied color! As the poet, Gerard Manly Hopkins, so aptly stated, The world is charged with the grandeur of God!
Gathering in reflection on our continuing Lenten journey, the Gospel stories for last Sunday, this day and next Sunday are all taken from the Gospel of St. John, the final Gospel to be written. John is sometimes referred to as ‘the theologian’ for his gospel ruminates on the deeper question of the ‘meaning’ of the Christ event for the world rather than merely narrating stories from his life.
The themes of water, vision and death giving way to life are all highlighted in these three gospel stories. Last Sunday we heard the story of the woman at the well who thirsted for living water. Today, in the story of the man born blind, vision is gifted to the man by the Savior, and finally, next Sunday, the Lord’s dear friend, Lazarus, who has died, is raised to new life by Jesus who commands that he be untied and set free from the tomb.
Faith gives a vision to our lives far beyond the miracle of human sight. As beautiful and wonderful as our human sight is, to see with the eyes of faith, to believe that life is far broader and richer than what ‘we see’ around us, is indeed an amazing grace.
Would that we could daily see as the Lord sees. What a better, more loving, peaceful and more joyous would our lives and world be.